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STOCKHOLM (AP) – Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog says he is headed home to Sweden to play for second-division Djurgarden during the NHL lockout.

Landeskog wrote on Twitter on Wednesday that he was “excited to get back on the ice infront of family and friends.”

Stockholm-based Djurgarden says in a statement that it has reached a verbal agreement with Landeskog for the duration of the NHL lockout.

Landeskog played for Djurgarden before being picked second overall in the draft last year, and the 19-year-old left winger was named Colorado’s captain in September, making him the youngest player ever to lead an NHL team.

The Swede says he will miss the Avalanche fans, describing them as “one of a kind.” He says he hopes to return to Denver’s Pepsi Center “as soon as possible.”